This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for forming an image using a reversible thermosensitive medium. More specifically, the invention relates to image formation using a thermosensitive medium in combination with a photosensitive member.
Conventionally, recording methods using heat-emitting recording elements have been widely used in telecopiers and printers because the heat-emitting recording elements were low cost and the process was simple. In such devices, the image was written directly on thermosensitive paper.
The recording paper used in this method, however is a special paper which changes its color due to the action of heat, and it therefore has poor conservation properties.
To improve this situation, a thermal transfer method has been proposed wherein an ink-coated film is used as an intermediate medium, the ink on the film is melted by the heat-emitting elements, and the melted ink is then transferred to paper. This method has been widely used in printers (see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 61-030791, and "Proceedings of the 4th NIP Technical Symposium", Electrophotography Institute (Jul. 23, 1987)).
In the above arrangement, however, if the recording paper does not have a smooth surface, the ink cannot be completely transferred. Consequently, ordinary paper cannot be used to record images using heat-emitting recording elements.
An electrophotographic method has been proposed in order to record on ordinary paper. If this is applied to printers, however, a laser and image-forming optical system, or an LED (light-emitting diode) array and image-forming system must be used as the exposure means, and the cost of the equipment is thereby increased.